Do you have a homie who’s been arrested over cannabis? Are you the homie? Has that homie been a close friend or family member? “Free the Homies” is a joint art project between Washington-based cannabis company Solstice and Seattle-based artist Teddy “Stat” Phillips that aims to spread awareness about unjust cannabis-related incarceration in the U.S. and raise funds for the Last Prisoner Project (LPP).
Recreational, or adult-use, cannabis is legal in 18 states across America, and medical cannabis is legal in 37. Only a handful of states are still clinging to the unjust cannabis prohibition of the past, which started in 1937 and has destroyed America since. Its very existence has torn apart the fabric of countless families and cost an untold number of people their lives.
All too often, police officers would say they smelled cannabis—whether they did or not—as an excuse to detain and search citizens. Sometimes they would find some weed, sometimes they would plant it, and sometimes they would just emotionally rattle innocent citizens for fun. If you’re a cannabis consumer, chances are you’re very familiar with the not-so-safe feeling of seeing an officer in your rear-view mirror or outside your property.
Sadly, even as the legal cannabis industry continues to reach new heights, some people are still doing time behind bars for cannabis-related charges. According to the LPP, there are more than 40,000 cannabis prisoners in the United States. Its website says:
“The Last Prisoner Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform. LPP was founded in 2019 out of the belief that if anyone is able to profit and build wealth in the legal cannabis industry, those individuals must also work to release and rebuild the lives of those who have suffered from cannabis criminalization.”
The LPP’s mission is: “Through intervention, advocacy, and awareness campaigns the Last Prisoner Project works to redress the past and continuing harms of these unjust laws and policies.”
In a joint collaboration, Phillips and Solstice worked together to come up with two designs showcasing the Free the Homies initiative; sales from the project will go to LPP to help free prisoners doing time for victimless cannabis crimes. One of the designs is inspired by a card I carry in my purse: a Monopoly get-out-of-jail-free card. I’ve tried this card—it does not work in real life but makes for a good laugh. The other design supports Allen Russell, who is serving life for cannabis possession in the state of Mississippi.
Systematically, people of color have been disproportionately arrested and incarcerated over cannabis. Many of these people have been pushed out of an industry they not only supported but, in essence, helped to build. It is estimated that less than 2% of legal cannabis businesses are owned by people of color.
Cannabis prohibition is wrong. Those who support it are either ill-informed or narrow-minded. According to the U.S. federal government, cannabis is a Schedule I drug with no accepted medicinal value and a high addiction rate. Meanwhile, the opioid epidemic continues to destroy families all over the world. The FDA has also approved a few cannabis-based pharmaceutical drugs. Yet the federal government still supports arresting and incarcerating people over cannabis.
Legalizing cannabis could help not only America but the world in so many ways. First and foremost, cannabis could play a pivotal role in endless industrial and agricultural aspects. Let us not even start to mention the potential medicinal aspects of cannabis. It was estimated in 2017 that if cannabis were legal in every state in America, it would save over a billion dollars annually on Medicaid.
Cannabis legalization is already showing that places with legal access to cannabis are seeing a drop in dependency on pharmaceutical prescriptions. Cannabis is helping patients fight cancer, control seizure disorders, fight chronic pain, and so much more. Yet the federal government still denies the American people the freedom to consume cannabis, citing it as a dangerous drug.
Cannabis isn’t the problem; American politicians are the problem. For too long, elected representatives have ignored the people’s will. Let these archaic representatives know their time and days in office are numbered. They will not be getting re-elected, and organizations are being formed to look into their actions and time in office in depth. Support cannabis legalization and decriminalization for our nation, or we will gladly accept your resignation.
To our current representatives: End cannabis prohibition today. Release all Americans incarcerated over cannabis charges. You can’t undo the harm you’ve done, but you can begin to make it right. Or you can continue to hide behind archaic laws and outdated cannabis policy until we come for you. When we come for you, our numbers will be many, our votes will be loud, and in the end, you’ll no longer be a representative of our country. It’s time for political representatives to start representing the people instead of private agendas. End federal cannabis prohibition and free the homies!
If you happen to be in the Seattle area and would like to get your hands on some of the Free the Homies artwork, you can find it in a handful of Seattle dispensaries, including The Reef and Have a Heart.
This takes me back to a boss I had not too long ago. They had a drug charge from over a decade ago related to a drug that is now semi-legal! And they won’t drop it even though the legalization is now present in my state.
If you’ve ever eaten raw cannabis flower hoping to get high, you were probably disappointed. That’s because you need to decarb your cannabis first. THC (the chemical compound responsible for the “high” and psychoactive effects) doesn’t exist in significant amounts in raw cannabis. Neither does CBD, a cannabinoid known for its beneficial anti-inflammatory effects and…
There are many things that cannabis and its ingredients can do. As more research is conducted, the list of health benefits grows. One recent discovery indicates that the cannabinoid CBD (cannabidiol) might just be the next big thing for treating testosterone imbalances. Studies have outlined that CBD — a non-psychoactive cannabinoid rich in anti-inflammatory and…
In the past few years, improvements in artificial intelligence (AI) have helped different industries evolve, making processes better and more efficient. In general, the agricultural sector has already welcomed the use of AI with open arms. The cannabis industry is also primed for big changes to incorporate the use of AI into the field. From…
With the arrival of 4/20 comes the promise of festivals, mass smoke sessions, and camaraderie with fellow cannabis enthusiasts. But, while cannabis may promote social gathering for some, others prefer to consume their cannabis in the way of the introvert – that is, completely alone. If you’re not exactly a social smoker and still want…
Medical cannabis is more popular than ever before, with 38 states having legalized some form of it for various health conditions. A new federally-funded study has confirmed this, reporting that medical marijuana enrollment is skyrocketing throughout the United States. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),…
Get your medical marijuana card today
Sign up in under 5 minutes
